Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who was former US ambassador to the UN and former Secretary of Energy during the Bill Clinton administration, has died at his home at the age of 75, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, a organization he founded and led to promote diplomacy and dialogue.
According to the Richardson Center statement, the politician and diplomat died in his sleep at his summer home in Massachusetts, surrounded by his family.
“He lived his entire life in the service of others, including his time in government and his subsequent career, helping to free people taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” said Mickey Bergman, vice president of the Richardson Center.
Richardson was born on November 15, 1947 in Pasadena, California, the son of an American executive and a Mexican teacher. He grew up in Mexico City, where he learned to speak Spanish fluently. He graduated with a BA in International and Political Science from Tufts University and an MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University’s Fletcher School.
In 1982 he began his career in politics, when he was elected representative for the third congressional district of New Mexico, a position he held until 1997. During his time in Congress, he was noted for his efforts to promote peace and human rights in America. America, Africa and the Middle East. He was also a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Appropriations Committee.
In 1997, he was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, where he defended American interests and led efforts to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, nuclear weapons, and human rights violations.
A year later, Clinton appointed him Secretary of Energy, a position he held until the end of his term in 2001. As Secretary of Energy, he pushed for policies to diversify energy sources, reduce dependence on foreign oil, protect the environment, and improve national security.
Richardson’s career as Governor of New Mexico
In 2002, Richardson became the first Hispanic governor of New Mexico and the fifth in the state’s history. He was re-elected in 2006 with 69% of the vote, the largest margin of victory for a governor in state history.
During his two terms, he made significant progress in education, health, infrastructure, the economy, and public safety. He was also a strong advocate for renewable energy, immigration reform, and civil rights.
Richardson ran in 2008 as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, but withdrew after disappointing results in the early primaries. He later endorsed and was nominated by Barack Obama for Commerce Secretary, but declined due to an investigation into alleged influence-peddling that was ultimately dropped without charge.
After leaving office as governor in 2011, Richardson pursued private activities as a consultant, speaker, and writer. Similarly, he continued his humanitarian and diplomatic work through the Richardson Center, which he founded in 2011 with the goal of resolving international conflicts and freeing people who are held captive or unjustly imprisoned.
Among his most notable achievements are the release of hostages and prisoners in North Korea, Iraq, Cuba, Sudan and Venezuela. He also participated as a mediator in several prisoner exchanges between the United States and Russia.
With information from CNN